The Russian Sukhoi T-50 is going to be a tough adversary for both the F-22 and F-35.
A video published by the TV channel Zvezda shows a Sukhoi PAK FA prototype performing some stunning aerobatics that prove the excellent maneuverability of Russia’s next generation radar-evading fighter jet.
According to the Russians, in terms of maneuvering capabilities, the new aircraft will have no rivals both among its Russian-made predecessors and among the foreign combat planes.
The aircraft is a stealth equipped with a front, side and rear AESA radar, as well as L Band radars. It features TVC (Thrust Vectoring Control), a top speed exceeding Mach 2 and a supermaneuverability that makes the T-50 able to perform, among the others, even the famous Cobra maneuver.
It should carry a wide variety of weapons including air-to-air, air-to-surface and anti-ship missiles.
Although future air-to-air scenarios will probably not involve WVR (Within Visual Range) engagements, where supermaneuverability would give it an edge over most if not all its competitors, and provided it will solve all its problems and will be produced in significant numbers, the T-50 will become a tough adversary for the F-22 and F-35.
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The 12 procured will probably be the only 12 ever procured. And to be clear, it was felled because of technical problems – see what the Indians said – that couldn’t be bridged without significantly more money, money that Russia can’t afford and India was unwilling to pay.
The danger for Russia is this. If it decides to build PAK FA in the late 2020s (or a “PAK
FA 2.0”), it will be essentially, an F-22 raptor rival that will co up against the F-X, which is the US’s planned F-22 successor program that will first fly in the late 2020s. The danger of PAK FA
cancellation isn’t what it means now, but rather fifteen years out, as it puts Russia permanently a further generation behind the development curve. They can’t realistically expect to skip from 4th Generation to 6th, when their 5th Generation PAK FA was such a boondoggle.
Looks like clips from several different flights merged together.
I feel the same. Also, one of the prototypes has a longer tail tip, Flanker-like.
Meh. The Chinese J-20 is more of a stealth aircraft than this thing will ever be.
yeah, right.
Welcome to the stealth club, Russia. Too bad it took you 22 years to play catch-up, and your plane sucks, and you can only afford 5 of them.
Actually it’s got over 10 years of advancements on the F-22, 3D TV engines and a HMD for the pilot. They’ll be building 50 of them by the early 20’s, so yeah… Murcia isn’t automatically the best anymore, get used to it
Guess you missed the news: https://theaviationist.com/2015/04/07/t-50-pak-fa-new-problems/
Actually 50 was revised down to under 20 a couple months ago. Doubtful they will make much of anything beyond prototypes.
Awww, so cute. Little Roddy is throwing his toys out of the court. Bitter much?
“Although future air-to-air scenarios will probably not involve WVR (Within Visual Range) engagements”
David, this statement is very interesting, mostly when talking about opposed stealth aircraft. I’d like you to further elaborate.
Provided both of them respect their paper stealth specifications, they would be “stealth” to each other, right? So I would assume that when a F-22 meets a T-50 their fight goes WVR if not even down to gun combat. I even remember some claims with aggressor US pilots seeing a F-22 with their own eyes, but having difficulties to lock it on with the aiming systems on their jets, both radar and IR based.
Else… what’s the whole point in stealth technology?
All of this, giving for granted that it is very unlikely that they will ever fire upon each other…